Green light for city cycleways

Construction will start later this year on two multi-million-dollar cycleway projects in Christchurch.

The Infrastructure, Transport and Environment Committee today approved revised plans for the Papanui Parallel route and a section of the Rapanui — Shag Rock Cycleway.

The Committee approved the following projects:

• Papanui Parallel: A 5.5km long cycleway starting at Bealey Avenue and making its way through Edgeware and St Albans before arriving at Northlands Mall and finishing at the rail line crossing with Sawyers Arms Road where it joins with the Northern Line Cycleway.

• Rapanui — Shag Rock Cycleway: Section 1 of the route, which extends from Fitzgerald Avenue to Linwood Avenue via Linwood Park. An area along Cashel Street, Clive Street and Marlborough Street is excluded while community feedback on an alternative is considered.

Committee Chairman Phil Clearwater says today's approval to build the cycleways is a significant milestone for the Major Cycle Routes.

"The Major Cycle Routes plan arose from the community telling the Council the city needed to cater better for people who wanted to cycle to get around.

"It is gratifying to be able approve the entire Papanui Parallel route, which is an important link from the north, through St Albans and Edgeware into the Central City.

The community feedback has had a major impact on the cycleway plans, with 80 changes made to the original proposals, Mr Clearwater says.

"This project shows the benefit of working together with the community to seek an acceptable solution where there are differing views about the use of public space.

"People really got involved 265 people attended the five information sessions and the Council received 656 formal submissions, as well as getting a lot of informal feedback."

The Committee has asked staff to do some further work to see if more parking can be provided along Rutland Street between Chapter and Weston streets or on surrounding streets. Staff will also investigate the installation of traffic lights at the intersections of Springfield and Edgeware roads and Springfield Road and St Albans Street.

Changes were also made to the Rapanui — Shag Rock Cycleway section from Fitzgerald Avenue to Linwood Park as a result of consultation on that route.

"We have added more pedestrian facilities and addressed concerns around parking provision by making changes in a number of areas. In addition, an alternative option to Cashel and Clive streets was developed and this is now open for public comment," Mr Clearwater says.

The Committee has also asked staff to look at further options for the intersection of England and Worcester streets, to preserve traffic flows through the crossing

Both routes are included in the Government’s national Urban Cycleways Programme (UCP), which is designed to accelerate the delivery of cycling projects over the next three years.

“It is great to see such good progress being made on Christchurch’s biking network which will help make cycling a reliable and safer travel choice,” says Jim Harland, NZ Transport Agency Southern Regional Director.

“The Government is investing more than $20 million in Christchurch’s cycleways during the next three years from the Urban Cycleways Fund, and the Transport Agency is investing around $23 million from the National Land Transport Fund. The final third of the cost comes from the Christchurch City Council and local ratepayers.”

Construction on both routes is expected to begin later this year and be finished during 2017.

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